Mawupé Valentin Vovor

Mawupé Valentin Vovor was an African physician, academic figure and Togolese politician. Born in Kpalime (Kloto district, northwest of Lome) in 1923 and he passed in Paris, France, in 1992. Vovor studied Biology and Medicine in Montpelier and Dijon (France). He served as professor of Medicine of the French universities (1965), and was the first sub-Saharan African member of the French Academy of Surgery (1975). Vovor created and contributed to the creation of number of schools of medicine across francophone sub-Saharan Africa. He taught Surgery and Gynecology in Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Central Africa Republic,Senegal and Togo.

Vovor was married to Emilia Moreira and father of three daughters and two sons.

Academic career

Vovor was professor of general medicine and surgery to many Africans at the School of Medicine of Dakar. Good number of his students had successful career in their home country (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Tchad, Togo) even with high ranking political career. Many of them, returning home called him to support the creation of their National School of Medicine.

Vovor created the National School of Midwifery of Togo in 1967 when he was still teaching surgery at the School of Medecine of the University of Dakar (now University Cheick Anta Diop of Senegal). During his tenure as head of the Togo national midwife's school, until his retirement in 1980, the diploma delivered allowed alumni to work in France and Senegal without additional courses or conversions. As the grade delivered was granted by the University of Dakar, the school attracted numerous students not only from Togo but also from Haute-Volta (now Burkina Faso), Niger, Tchad, Comoros Islands, etc.

Vovor also created the School of Gynecology and Obstetrics within the School of Medicine of the University du Benin (now University of Lomé). The School has attracted students from numerous African schools of medicine, even from France as it had partnership with the School of Medicine of the University of Lilles and the School of Medicine of the Hopital Cochin in Paris.

Vovor, during his academic years in Togo was in charge of the higher academic studies serving as the National Director for Superior Education within the Ministry of Education and Research.

Political career

Vovor was called after the first military coup in Africa (January 13, 1963) to the responsibility of Togo Ministry of Health of which he resigned to pursue his academic researches to earn the grade of Professor of medicine in France (1965). During his professorship, Mawupe Valentin Vovor remained involved in Togo national affairs as Chairman of the Supreme Court.

Member of the parliement, Mawupe Valentin Vovor chaired the Togo National Assembly from 1985 to 1988, when he resigned two years before the end of his term because of his personal convictions.

References

    Further reading

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, January 22, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.